Lamppost
by The Countess of Monte Cristo
Summary: Yusuke and Kurama have their own demons to face, and they acknowledge as much to one another in a rare earnest conversation by a lamppost before the Three Kings Saga gets in full swing.


_A/N So, I recently finished watching the Three King Saga again, and I noticed a scene where Kurama and Yusuke have a little late night chat on the street. All that was shown was Yusuke asking Kurama to give his mother a toast at her wedding for him because he couldn't be there. I thought I'd do a little one shot to expand on their conversation. I had a hard time trying to figure out what night they had this chat because in the flashback they both wore the outfits they had on upon arriving in demon world which doesn't make any sense due to the fact that they arrived there months apart. So, if you have an issue with the time frame, don't blame me: blame fashion._

Yusuke sighed upon leaving the warmth of the Yukimura diner in favor of the cool night air of the deserted street. His promise to Keiko still rang in his ears. It has been impulsive of him to say those things. They held so much more weight now that they were older, and while Yusuke had misgivings, he loved Keiko and wished to make her happy. More than that, he wished to be happy _with_ her. He didn't worry about not being able to return. Somehow, he would find a way, he was sure, and though they would quite literally be worlds apart, they would always be together. Yusuke mentally chastised himself for such _girly_ thoughts and instead contemplated how it would feel to pound into his bastard of an ancestral dad.

He had often wondered what it would be like to meet his father. His mom had never really talked about him which left Yusuke to imagine for himself what he would be like. He had always pictured someone quite like his mom. A drunk, abusive man with a bad attitude and a distaste for the domestic came to mind, someone not unlike himself. To be faced with a confrontation with his…well, not quite _father_, really, but close enough, was fairly daunting. In the many scenarios he had run through in his mind of a meeting with his father, he had never once thought that he would be meeting with a demon. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, though, considering his bloodlust and aggressive nature.

He walked slowly down the street, enjoying the silence and stillness only the dead of night provided. He let his feet and mind wander, the former leading him down familiar paths and the latter drifting through new and exciting thoughts.

"Enjoying your midnight stroll, Yusuke?" He jumped at the mild voice behind him, whipping around so fast he gave himself a crick in his neck. Reaching up a hand to massage it, he found himself a few feet away from his quiet friend Kurama._ Damn, that fox is sneaky, masking his energy all the time_. He was surprised to have run into him this late, but then when he thought further on the subject, he doubted it was a coincidence. He was on the other side of town, away from Kurama's home and even farther from his school. He was sure that his red haired friend had been seeking him out. He took a moment to take in his appearance. It was rare for him to be found without his school uniform on, and Yusuke was sure it had been a school day. Instead of the familiar fuchsia getup, he wore pristine white pants and a pressed brown jacket. More shocking than his choice of wardrobe was the worried expression in his eyes. He looked ruffled, and his aura radiated unease. Yusuke furrowed his brow in confusion and anxiety. Kurama was very rarely perturbed. His calm was legendary and ever-present. If something had happened to upset him, it had to be serious, and seriously _dangerous_ to the source of his distress. The last time he had looked like this, he had racked up an impressive body count, even by his standards.

"Kurama, fancy meeting you here so late. Isn't it a school night?" Yusuke greeted in a scolding manner, hoping to lighten the mood. Kurama laughed softly, his eyes losing some of their apprehension.

"It appears you've become a bad influence on me. I confess, I didn't attend class today, nor do I intend to do so tomorrow."

Yusuke frowned at this uncharacteristic behavior. Something was definitely wrong.

"You alright, man?" Yusuke asked, concern evident in his voice. There was something very intimate about talking to Kurama like this in the quiet night beneath the stars.

Kurama hesitated before speaking, as if searching for the right words, "Some...troubling developments have arisen..."

"Kurama, for the last time, I'm either gonna charge you money or beat the crap out of you the very next time you're vague like this," Yusuke threatened heatedly. Kurama gave him a small indulgent smile.

"My apologies, Yusuke. I just had a rather bothersome conversation with Hiei. It would appear as if one of the kings of demon world has requested Hiei's presence, and he has agreed," Kurama explained somewhat distantly, as if his thoughts were elsewhere.

"One of the kings…which one?" Yusuke asked immediately. Kurama looked unsurprised that Yusuke knew about the lords of demon world and answered.

"Mukuro, perhaps the most vicious and cruel tyrant of the three," was his response. "I'm assuming by your knowledge of this subject that you, too, have received a special guest from demon world. Sent by Raizen, no doubt?"

Yusuke stared in amazement at his quick-witted friend. It was times like these that Yusuke thought Kurama had the ability to read minds. He was always so intuitive that it bordered on downright scary.

"How could you possibly know that?" he demanded still in awe of the soft spoken redhead.

"Conjecture," he replied, amusement dancing in his emerald eyes.

"Con- what?" Yusuke asked, puzzlement in his amber eyes. It was always Kurama that used the big words that reminded him that he was the one that needed the schooling, not him.

"I guessed," he supplied patiently.

"Hell of a guess, pal."

"I remembered the particular markings you bore after the fight with Sensui," Kurama reminisced, "I also noticed the lighting that the spirit gun emitted when fired by your demon ancestor. It wasn't hard, after that, to put two and two together. Raizen was the sole ruler of the demon world when I was born, and none had not heard of his strength and ferocity. It was only after several centuries that Mukuro carved out a territory of his own, reveling in chaos and bloodshed."

"So, old three-eyes and I will be enemies, huh? What's new?" Yusuke replied flippantly.

"I'm afraid it's far worse than that, Yusuke," Kurama responded darkly, his voice growing deeper and more threatening as he spoke. "Remember that there are three kings of demon world. Five hundred years ago a former bandit by the name of Yomi struggled his way into the top echelon of demonic society, forming his own domain and following. He now holds a third of all demon world under his control."

"Why does that make this worse?" Yusuke asked, dreading the answer.

"Yomi was once an old acquaintance of mine," Kurama retorted simply, clearly not keen on the subject. "He has contacted me, wishing for an alliance once more."

"And you're going to accept, aren't you?" Yusuke could feel his stomach drop even as he spoke those words. Kuroko's husband's warning suddenly replayed in his head: _I see a great separation forming between you and your friends...It's a separation made in blood._

"I'm afraid I owe Yomi a terrible debt," he sighed regretfully.

"Wait, wasn't Yomi the one that was all for the people eating?" he asked, a sudden thought occurring to him.

"Yes, Yomi does find satisfaction to his cravings in the form of consuming humans," Kurama smiled ruefully, as if saying the words alone left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Well, are you gonna be safe there?" Yusuke asked bluntly. Kurama laughed humorlessly at his words.

"I'm hardly human, Yusuke, and I think Yomi would find eating a former comrade in poor taste."

Ignoring the pun, Yusuke plowed on, "No offense, Kurama, but your former "comrades" tend to try to off you."

Kurama shook his head at this, "That creature you saw before was not Kuronue, but you have a point with Yomi. I do have reason to believe he wishes me ill…however, I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, though I appreciate your heartfelt concern."

"I'm more worried about what Hiei will do under Mukuro's guidance. He can be quite the terror when he means to be," Kurama added thoughtfully with a worried glance at Yusuke.

"Ahhh, short stuff's no problem. I think we've had a positive influence on the little guy."

Kurama smiled wanly at him but didn't comment.

"So, this is it, isn't it? The end of the dream team. I can only imagine Kuwabara's reaction to all this," Yusuke groaned. He could _definitely_ imagine Kuwabara trying to beat the crap out of all of them over this. There was no way he was going to understand why they had to do this. Why _he_ had to do this.

"He will just have to cope as best he can," Kurama murmured, "There are more pressing matters to attend to. Yusuke, you are putting yourself in the middle of a war. You must be judicious with your actions."

"Be what?" Yusuke asked, once again lost and confused by the mysterious fox.

"Think before you act," Kurama simplified.

"Geez, who do you think you're talking to, Kurama? It's me."

Kurama looked at Yusuke sharply for a moment before softening his expression. "You should know by now, Yusuke, that there is only one person, human or demon, in all the worlds, that I am unshakably loyal to, and it is you. Know that, should things go awry, I will always be on your side."

Yusuke's eyes widened at such a fervent admission. He was still surprised that he could elicit such unwavering devotion, especially from hardened demons such as the one before him.

"Thanks, pal," was Yusuke's underwhelming response. It was all he could say, and he hoped Kurama would understand just how much his loyalty meant to him.

"Yusuke, listen. I have one more important piece of advice to give you. Eventually, you must make a choice: this world or the other. It isn't easy with your dual nature, believe me, I know, but you can't live a double life forever…" his words were adamant, and they held a trace of sadness to them, as if he, too, was struggling against the same eventuality.

Yusuke absorbed his words and their meaning. He would be a fool to ignore Kurama's advice. He was far older and far wiser than Yusuke, and had much more experience being what he was, as well as having much more time to ponder the situation before them both.

Yusuke nodded solemnly, uncharacteristically sober at his words.

Kurama smiled after he had said his piece, adding mildly, "On a lighter note, Mother will be wedding Kazuya Hatanaka in only a few short months…you had wished to be invited."

Yusuke had completely forgotten all about that. It was hard to remember that normal life had continued in spite of the earth shattering changes that had been going on in his own.

"I'm sorry I'm missing it," Yusuke replied sincerely, "Give your mom a toast for me." Turning to walk away, he called over his shoulder, "Cheers!"

Kurama's answering smile was genuine. As he watched his friend walk away, he knew in his heart that everything would be alright.

_A/N As always I hope you enjoyed this. Please leave a review. They really do make me happy. Thank you._


End file.
